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Showing posts from June, 2012

Three-Day Town

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Book Description   Judge Deborah Knott and Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Bryant are on a train to New York, finally on a honeymoon after a year of marriage. January in New York might not be the perfect time to visit, but they'll take it. The trip is a Christmas present from Dwight's sister-in-law, who arranged for them to stay in an Upper West Side apartment for one week. While in New York, Deborah has been asked to deliver a package to Lt. Sigrid Harald of the NYPD. Sigrid offers to swing by the apartment to pick up the box, but when they reach the apartment, they discover that it is missing and the doorman has been murdered. Despite their best efforts to enjoy a blissful getaway, Deborah and Dwight soon find that they've teamed up with Sigrid and her team to catch the killer before he strikes again. Book Review   I am so in love with this book cover!  There is just something about it that promises a great read.  And I wasn’t let down. I have been enjoying a su

City of Whispers

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Book Description   Private eye Sharon McCone receives an e-mail asking for help from her emotionally disturbed half brother Darcy Blackhawk. She replies . . . but gets no response. As Sharon digs deeper, she discovers that Darcy sent his message from an Internet café in San Francisco, a city he's never been to before. Sensing that her brother is in terrible danger, Sharon begins a search for him throughout the city. The investigation leads her to the body of a woman at the Palace of Fine Arts, where a witness had told her that Darcy was headed. Then, as she digs deeper, Sharon uncovers a connection to the unsolved murder of a young heiress to a multimillion-dollar banking fortune. Now Sharon must race to solve both murders and ensure her brother's safety, despite the imminent danger that lurks within her own family. Book Review   I have certainly been on a mystery kick lately.  I just can’t get enough mysteries on TV or in books.  This is my first Sharon McCone myst

Come A Little Closer

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  Book Description   America's Heartland, 1946. World War II has ended, and everyone is pursuing peacetime's bright promise with fresh energy and hope. Newly-arrived in a small Wisconsin town, Christina Tucker now dares to chase her long-cherished dreams: put her wartime nursing skills to use and reconnect with country life. But helping a shell-shocked veteran recover soon tests her determination and disturbs town memories best left buried. She has no choice but to turn to her patient's seemingly-irresponsible brother, Tyler Sutter. A restless ex-soldier, Tyler can't believe this pretty ladylike nurse can heal his family. Yet as Christina begins to understand Tyler's own fears, the two grow close, then closer still-as a terrible secret sparks one man's violent, vengeful spree. With both the guilty and innocent alike in harm's way, Tyler and Christina must face all their fears . . . or never live to see the future. Book Review   This was a nice

The Bone House

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Book Description   One piece of the Skin Map has been found. Now the race to unravel the future of the future turns deadly. An avenue of Egyptian sphinxes, an Etruscan tufa tomb, a Bohemian coffee shop, and a Stone Age landscape where universes collide … Kit Livingstone met his great grandfather Cosimo in a rainy alley in London where he discovered the reality of alternate realities. Now he’s on the run – and on a quest, trying to understand the impossible mission he inherited from Cosimo: to restore a map that charts the hidden dimensions of the multiverse while staying one step ahead of the savage Burley Men. The key is the Skin Map – but where it leads and what it means, Kit has no idea. The pieces have been scattered throughout this universe and beyond. Mina, from her outpost in seventeenth-century Prague, is quickly gaining both the experience and the means to succeed in the quest. Yet so are those with evil intent, who from the shadows are manipulating great minds

Say You’ll Be Mine

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Book Description   Isabel Gallegos is only a handshake away from living her dream life. After years of putting everyone else's needs before her own, she's selling her family's vineyard and moving to a quiet cottage on the California coast. But just as she's about to seal the deal, a letter arrives from Argentina with shocking news: Her beloved cousin has died and Isabel is now the sole guardian of three young children. Still holding on to her dream, Isabel travels to Argentina. There she meets little Julieta, the cherubic baby of the family; eight-year-old Adelmo, as hot-tempered as his sister is sweet; and ten-year-old Sandra, whose heart-shaped face and quiet confidence remind Isabel so much of her late cousin. She tells herself to let the children go, to leave them in the care of their grandmother or perhaps their long-lost uncle who abruptly reappears. Or should she listen to her ex-husband, who is suddenly at her side, urging her to give the children--and h

Legend of the Dragonrealm: Volume III

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  Book Description   The Crystal Dragon Sinister dreams haunt the wizard Cabe Bedlam, leading both him and Darkhorse to the desolate peninsula  of Legar.  Here, a desperate band of wolf raiders, their empire in ruins, have discovered the resting place and sorcerous artifacts  of the inhuman Quel.  Now Cabe, Darkhorse, and the Gryphon are trapped between two hellish hordes, and to defeat them, Cabe must become the willing pawn of the oldest, most enigmatic drake of all… the Crystal Dragon. The Dragon Crown Heir to the dragon emperor’s throne, the young, shape-shifting drake Kyl is the focus of many who seek to control the realm’s destiny.  Cabe Bedlam, most of all, hopes that this new emperor will be the signal for peace among drakes and men, but he knows that Kyl might prove to be the spark that drives the land to war.  In order to ensure Kyl’s survival, Cabe will have to confront a nightmarish foe from his distant paste, one who can strike at him even within the wizard’s

Spinning The Law

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Book Description   A behind-the-scenes analysis of media strategies not taught in law school or journalism classes, this collection of entertaining examples and explanations make for ideal reading for everyone fascinated by celebrity legal problems. Book Review   I hate to say this, but I did have a bit of trouble getting through this one.  Yes, it was interesting, but I felt that it did get bogged down in places. This book did address the problem with media oversaturation.  How can anyone have a fair trial when the media has already convicted them in the headlines?  Too many times we walk into the court room to sit on juries with opinions already formed because of what we see on TV.  This book gives many examples of this. Spinning the Law: Trying Cases in the Court of Public Opinion (9781616142100): Kendall Coffey: Books ISBN : 1616142103 ISBN-13 : 9781616142100 In conjunction with the Wakela’s World Disclosure Statement , I received a product in order to enable my r

Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare

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Book Description   When pineapple cheesecakes start disappearing from the world’s only Pineapple Cheesecake Factory across town, Crosley, a zany red crocodile, enlists the help of young John Degraffenreidt to straighten things out.  In this adventure-fantasy, the unlikely pair sneaks out of John’s house by becoming invisible, thanks to the I –ain’t-here doodad Crosley uses from the bunch of whatchamacallits hanging on his belt. John and Crosley get on the subway and ride the Night Folks Limited all the way to the factory where they meet the giant manager, Big Foot Mae.  There is danger ahead, but the Night Buddies must stay with their “Program” if the world’s supply of pineapple cheesecakes counts for anything.  And it surely does, especially to Crosley who is totally goofy about them and never seems to get his fill. Book Review   This was a completely cute book to read.  The kids enjoyed every minute of it.  They were laughing hysterically throughout. Sands Hetheringto

Rise and Fall: Book One of the Blood & Tears Trilogy

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Book Description   An ill-prepared queen, a soft-hearted mercenary, and a crippled warrior struggle as a kingdom falls and an empire rises. For years the High Mages of Cadonia have maintained an uneasy peace among the nobles disgruntled with the rule of the king. In the aftermath of a tragic event, Elyse, the king’s daughter, is thrust into a role she is not ready for. As queen, she must now determine who to trust while struggling to keep the kingdom from collapsing around her. The Hell Patrol, a legendary mercenary outfit commanded by Jonrell, finds itself disenfranchised with their current employer. Recalling a promise he made over a decade ago, Jonrell breaks his contract in order to right the wrongs of his past. On the continent of Hesh, the Blue Island Clan has long been ignored by its neighbors. Tobin, a warrior and son of the Clan’s ruler, struggles as an outcast as he watches his brother Kaz lead his father’s army to glory. Emboldened by a new friendship with a myst

Sweet Chic

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Book Description   Today’s baker faces a great challenge: With little time and a limited repertoire, she often needs to whip up a delicious dessert that’s dressed to impress. Rachel Schifter Thebault, founder and head confectioner of Tribeca Treats in New York City, knows all about making a sweet statement. Combining a confectioner’s expertise with fashion sense, she shares a scrumptious cache of popular dessert recipes that can be accessorized to fit any occasion. What’s more, transforming a basic dessert into a masterpiece brimming with personality and flair can be easy, quick, and fun. In the same way you’d plan an outfit, Sweet Chic pieces together a Devil’s Food Cake—the little black dress of delights—with such irresistible accessories as Caramel Buttercream (think knee-high boots) for ultimate decadence, turns Vanilla Cookies (the crisp oxford shirt) into Strawberry “Shortcakes” ideal for casual or dressy occasions, and blends brownies (the cashmere sweater of confection

Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand

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Book Description   Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand provides insightful stories and ideas to support your spiritual journey and help you answer your soul's calling. Inside you'll read how to step fully into who you are as an awakened soul being. You'll shift how you experience your world using the affirmations, meditations, and visualizations provided in each chapter. A new process called Transformational Empowerment(TM) shows five key steps for manifesting your heart's desire and fulfilling your soul contracts. You've already signed up to be an agent for spiritual transformation, in your own life and in the world. Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand is a spiritual guidebook to help you navigate through your daily stresses, spiritual tests, and challenging relationships. It also is a celebration of the joy you are here to experience in earth-school. Each chapter has meaningful exercises for you to use immediately Read more so you can live the magnificent expr

Pirate of My Heart

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Book Description   When her doting father dies, Lady Kendra Townsend is given a choice: marry the horrid man of her cold, money-grubbing uncle's choosing or leave England to risk a new life in America with unknown relatives. Armed with the faith that God has a plan for her, Kendra boards a cargo ship and meets American sea captain Dorian Colburn. But the captain has been wounded by a woman before and guards his independent life. A swashbuckling man doesn't need an English heiress to make him slow down, feel again, or be challenged with questions about his faith-or so he thinks. It is not until Dorian must save Kendra from the dark forces surrounding her that he decides she may be worth the risk. Book Review   This was my first introduction to a book by Jamie Carie.  I thoroughly enjoyed it! Jamie makes you feel like you are at sea with both Lady Kendra and Captain Dorian.  The descriptions are captivating.  The story is compelling. This was one of those books th

Thawed Out & Fed Up

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  Book Description   Sam Bonham—bad husband, deadbeat dad, and possible criminal on the run from the law—wanders out of modern-day East Texas into an ersatz Wild West boomtown created for a movie that never happened.  And when Sam strikes a blow against the gangsters who’ve been terrorizing the town, the locals look to him to save them. He’s no hero, but he’s stumbled upon someone who is: John Wayne. But the John Wayne of this story is not the stalwart lawman of Hollywood films—he’s a seventy-two-year-old man who had himself cryogenically frozen.  He’s weak, bald, frail…and unrecognizable to everyone but Sam. In The Duke’s “defrosted” state, he’s not entirely himself.  In fact, he believes he’s actually Ethan Edwards, the character he played in The Searchers , one of Wayne’s most beloved films. Ethan or Duke or Marion Morrison, at his side Sam learns how to be a man, and a hero—and a pretty good shot! As he takes on the Old West gang of thugs, he finds that he might have beco

The Girl I Used to Know

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Book Description   Feel like you have too many things to do, but none of it includes anything for you? Get motivated and learn how to put personal priority back on your to-do list, and rediscover how to reach your goals and dreams. Marla Majewski, founder of Inspire Empire, will provide practical tools to get you back to feeling like the girl you used to know - before kids, marriage and life took over. In The Girl I Used To Know you will learn: Ways to identify qualities and characteristics from your childhood that identify your true passions and lost inspirations. How to appreciate the girl you are. Practical tools to get out of an inspirational rut. Ways to keep the Inspira-Meter on "High." Simple ways to "Inspire It Forward" and help other women reach their personal potential. Unlike other self-help books, this book is not about becoming a person that you have never been. It is about returning to the little girl we all used to be who believed in herself and

The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March

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Book Description   In the bestselling tradition of The Friday Night Knitting Club and The Jane Austen Book Club , three women find unexpected answers, happiness, and one another, with Meryl Streep movies as their inspiration. Two sisters and the cousin they grew up with after a tragedy are summoned home to their family matriarch’s inn on the coast of Maine for a shocking announcement. Suddenly, Isabel, June, and Kat are sharing the attic bedroom—and barely speaking. But when innkeeper Lolly asks them to join her and the guests in the parlor for weekly Movie Night—it’s Meryl Streep month—they find themselves sharing secrets, talking long into the night . . . and questioning everything they thought they knew about life, love, and one another. Each woman sees her complicated life reflected through the magic of cinema: Isabel’s husband is having an affair, and an old pact may keep her from what she wants most . . . June has promised her seven-year-old son that she will somehow find

The Disease of More

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Book Description   The Disease of More chronicles the childhood, young adulthood and current life experiences of Eleanor R., a woman who overcame great odds to recover from the diseases of alcoholism and food addiction. It is the true story of one woman's journey toward becoming the person she always wanted to be, despite her disadvantaged upbringing and her early affliction with addictions that took her to places of extreme shame and humiliation. Eleanor is every woman who struggles with self medication through food, alcohol and things. She is a mother, a wife, an influential public servant in one of the largest states in the nation, but still, after 25 years, she must get up each day and be vigilant against slipping back into cravings and her fears that she does not have enough. This book is an inspiring story of surrender and ultimate victory. Every reader will discover nuggets of Eleanor's hard-won wisdom that drive home the truth of her journey and the triumph of her